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1 – 10 of 22Virginia Ortiz‐Repiso and Yolanda Ríos
Library automation in Spain has undergone considerable growth during the 1990s, with the university library sector in particular making efforts to keep up with automation trends…
Abstract
Library automation in Spain has undergone considerable growth during the 1990s, with the university library sector in particular making efforts to keep up with automation trends. Due to the installation of automated management systems in nearly all universities, the creation of university library networks, and the growing accessibility of automated bibliographic information as well as online information such as CDROM, it can be said that university library automation (as opposed to other library sectors) is becoming well established and is developing in a standardised fashion. It is clear that this standardisation aids interlibrary communication, although there is a considerable amount of ground still to be covered. The exchange of bibliographical information required by the Spanish Library System Law (Reglamento del Sistema Español de Bibliotecas) falls well short of what is really needed. The business of cataloguing and classifying library stock continues to take up a lot of time. If shared cataloguing existed, this time could and should be spent on improving user services. The National Library is still not the figurehead of the Spanish system. In conclusion, there is still an appreciable lack of organisation and, on many occasions, projects are started without the necessary planning.
Alice Keefer and Miguel Jiménez
Spain's libraries have experienced considerable change in the past decade as a result of governmental restructuring and the general economic boom, after many years of neglect…
Abstract
Spain's libraries have experienced considerable change in the past decade as a result of governmental restructuring and the general economic boom, after many years of neglect. Automation efforts, the first of which date from the late 1960s, have increased in the past five years, coinciding with the introduction of new software packages. The pace of automation and the software solution chosen vary according to the different types of libraries. Some networking and co‐operative ventures have begun recently, especially among university and research libraries. It remains to be seen if the present growth will continue after the major events of 1992 have concluded.
Ken Harrison and David Summers
Lancaster University began a programme of retrospective catalogue conversion in 1990, initially using data from BNB on CD‐ROM, and more recently Library of Congress CDMARC…
Abstract
Lancaster University began a programme of retrospective catalogue conversion in 1990, initially using data from BNB on CD‐ROM, and more recently Library of Congress CDMARC Bibliographic. Records are downloaded in custom format (rather than MARC), and inhouse programs convert the data to the Lancaster catalogue format, and update the catalogue and related indexes. The proportion of library stock in full machine‐readable form has increased from 30 per cent in December 1990 to 72 per cent in July 1994. This article reports on technical details of the procedure, and implications in terms of staffing arrangements, work patterns, success rates, costs, and quality considerations.
Carlos Gastelum-Acosta, Jorge Limon-Romero, Yolanda Baez-Lopez, Diego Tlapa, Jorge Luis García-Alcaraz, Cesar Puente and Armando Perez-Sanchez
This paper aims to identify the relationships among critical success factors (CSFs) for lean six sigma (LSS) implementation in higher education institutions (HEIs).
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to identify the relationships among critical success factors (CSFs) for lean six sigma (LSS) implementation in higher education institutions (HEIs).
Design/methodology/approach
An extensive literature review was conducted to design the survey instrument, which the authors later administered in Mexican public HEIs to identify the existing relationships among the CSFs and their impact on the benefits obtained from implementing LSS projects. The data were empirically and statistically validated using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Additionally, the authors applied the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique on SPSS Amos to validate the nine hypotheses supporting the research.
Findings
The results suggest that the success of LSS projects in HEIs is highly bound to a serious commitment from top management and several interrelated factors.
Research limitations/implications
The main limitations of the study are that the research is cross-sectional in nature and regional in focus. Namely, the data used to validate the structural model were gathered from a small representative subset of the study population – i.e. Mexican public HEIs – and at a specific point in time.
Practical implications
The results reported here represent a reference framework for HEIs worldwide that wish to continuously improve their processes through LSS improvement projects.
Originality/value
This study proposes a statistically validated model using the SEM technique that depicts the relationships among LSS CSFs in HEIs.
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Keywords
Yolanda Pena‐Boquete, Sergio De Stefanis and Manuel Fernandez‐Grela
In this paper the aim is to focus on the individual distribution of gender wage discrimination in Spain and Italy, relying upon the development of Jenkins' distributional approach…
Abstract
Purpose
In this paper the aim is to focus on the individual distribution of gender wage discrimination in Spain and Italy, relying upon the development of Jenkins' distributional approach proposed in Del Rio et al.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors estimate the degree of individual discrimination for each employed woman and, relying on the decomposability properties of these estimates, assess the nature and extent of discrimination across various socio‐economic groupings.
Findings
Some mechanisms inhibit the access of highly educated women to highly rewarding occupations in Italy, especially in the public sector, but not in Spain.
Research limitations/implications
The treatment of occupation and sector of activity has some impact on the results, shedding doubt on the robustness of some previous analyses of discrimination in these countries.
Practical implications
While no doubt the appraisal of the glass ceiling in the Italian labour market will gain extensively from further research, some prima facie evidence is found highlighting the role of appointment and promotion procedures.
Originality/value
A remarkable institutional divide characterises Spain and Italy in the domain of gender wage discrimination. Powerful political pressure along the lines of gender quotas for public employment has long been in place in Spain, while nothing of the kind has existed in Italy.
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Manuel Larrán Jorge, Jesús Herrera Madueño, Yolanda Calzado and Javier Andrades
Numerous sustainability assessment tools are being created and applied in the higher education sector. In light of such diversity, there is a need to provide a common guideline…
Abstract
Purpose
Numerous sustainability assessment tools are being created and applied in the higher education sector. In light of such diversity, there is a need to provide a common guideline for sustainability assessment which makes easier the comparison among universities. Using as a reference the Spanish university system, the main aim of this paper is to develop a multi-item quantitative tool for measuring sustainability performance at universities.
Design/methodology/approach
To accomplish this task, the first step was to review the literature on sustainability assessment in universities. After reviewing the literature, the authors found more than 1,000 items. The next step was to select those items which were able to fit to the Spanish university context. On this basis, the authors selected a total of 268 items. These items were discussed in a workshop with senior management members from eight Spanish universities with the aim of analyzing the validity and relevance of the items selected.
Findings
Then, the proposal for measuring sustainability in Spanish universities was composed of a total of 156 relevant items. In addition, these items were grouped according to seven different dimensions (corporate governance, students, staff, society, environment, companies and continuous improvement). Also, it is important to note that these items were not associated with political risk and they were linked to provide more reliable information to assess sustainability in universities.
Originality/value
Recent literature have stated that the existing tools specifically developed for assessing higher education institutions performance toward sustainability have some weaknesses. Then, one of the main contributions of this study has been the creation of a new multi-item quantitative tool aimed at measuring the integrated consideration of social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability in universities.
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Maria Mercedes Callejas Restrepo, Norka Blanco-Portela, Yolanda Ladino-Ospina, Rosa Nidia Tuay Sigua and Kenneth Ochoa Vargas
The aim of this paper is to present a vision for university educator professional development, based on self-analysis of pedagogical styles and production of knowledge about the…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to present a vision for university educator professional development, based on self-analysis of pedagogical styles and production of knowledge about the practices that promote education for sustainable development (ESD).
Design/methodology/approach
The “STSE” course is part of the department’s Professional Development Program. The course aims to articulate the relationship between ESD processes and university educator training through reflection on their practices. To accomplish this objective, the course promotes interdisciplinary groups of educators from different backgrounds. These groups are encouraged to introspect regarding their pedagogical styles. A survey is applied to encourage self-analysis of the four pedagogical style dimensions.
Findings
University educators adopt their own pedagogical styles based on the evolution of their practices. This information is useful in generating education, formation and transformation of new professionals in their respective fields. This knowledge also raises questions about ESD, and the construction of processes, values and attitudes to aid this education.
Research limitations/implications
This paper only describes the characterization stage of the university educator pedagogical styles through practice-related self-analysis
Originality/value
This study builds pedagogical knowledge, promotes higher education transformation for sustainable development and strengthens the quality of university education.
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The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on female faculty and administrators working in higher education, past and present.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on female faculty and administrators working in higher education, past and present.
Design/methodology/approach
Materials were selected based on scholarly impact and reputation of the author. Selections were then examined to assure varied perspectives and wide period coverage.
Findings
Throughout the past century, women have made tremendous strides in the pursuit of equity in the academic working environment. However, statistics and personal experiences indicate that much progress is still needed.
Research limitations/implications
This bibliography is limited to literature on working female faculty and administrators in the USA. It is intended to provide a broad overview of their past and present working conditions. Materials cover the Colonial period though the present. As such, a brief selection of materials available are included. Although there are much fewer resources that include the women of color experience, whenever possible materials are included. For the purpose of this review, the female student demographic is omitted. As there is a plethora of materials on this subject, it should be examined in a separate bibliography.
Originality/value
This bibliography provides students and scholars a brief introduction to research women in higher education which encompasses diverse voices, a wide historical range and contemporary materials.
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